


Bringing Up the Past

by Ilovecastiel18



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fights, Fist Fights, Fluff, Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Violence, Non-Graphic Violence, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 23:20:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30063102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilovecastiel18/pseuds/Ilovecastiel18
Summary: Post-series. Joe comes back because he wants to see Tom graduate from school. Hardy confronts him. Ellie has a breakdown of sorts because seeing Joe brings up a lot of memories, Hardy comforts her. Hurt/comfort, angst. Some violence. Language warning. One-Shot.
Relationships: Alec Hardy & Ellie Miller
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Bringing Up the Past

**Author's Note:**

> I just… wanted to write a story where Hardy rocks Joe’s shit. Like, the thought of Hardy beating Joe’s ass is just *chef’s kiss* so here it is! Also, I may not get all of the lingo right because I am an American. Forgive me.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own these characters, locations, storylines, or anything else from the show Broadchurch. If I did, I would not be sitting around writing fanfiction, and I certainly wouldn’t have such a strong desire to meet David Tennant, because I already would have.

……….

Bringing Up the Past

……….

It had been seven years since the death of Danny Latimer rocked Broadchurch, and it had been about six since the killer, Joe Miller, had been acquitted and forced out of town. Hardy was happy to see that Ellie was coping well, and was starting her life again without Joe by her side.

They had become friends, best friends, despite all odds. Hardy would come over to dinner most days, playing with Fred and sometimes even helping Tom with his homework while Ellie prepared dinner. Ellie had started going out on dates, and seemed happier than Hardy had seen her since they found out that Joe had killed Danny.

She was moving on, starting over in a way. Of course, they were still partners on the force, and she was still living in her house with her boys. But she was turning over a new leaf and trying to continue her life without Joe next to her. It had taken a long time, but it was finally happening.

Today was the day that Tom was to graduate from secondary school, and Hardy found himself smiling brightly as he walked to Ellie’s house for an early lunch before they headed over. He was carrying a small gift that he had gotten Tom, as well as some flowers for Ellie. He knew that it was going to be hard for Ellie when Tom left for college, because it had been hard for him when Daisy had left, that’s why he had brought the flowers. To bring a little brightness to her bittersweet day.

The smile was wiped off his face when he rounded the corner by Ellie’s house. She was standing in the doorway, her face a ghostly white, staring at a bald man who was trying to push past her. Hardy started running, dropping the flowers and the gift in the grass when he got close to the house.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Joe?” he yelled, grabbing Joe’s shoulder and turning him around.

“I’m here to see my son graduate, Hardy. Not that it’s any of your business.” Joe glanced down at the grass where Hardy had dropped what he was carrying. “Are you and Ellie a thing now? Well, I guess you were together even before you arrested me, so…”

Hardy grabbed fistfuls of Joe’s shirt and pulled him forward so their faces were inches apart. “You and I both know that Ellie and I weren’t sleeping together when we were investigating Danny’s death.” Hardy bared his teeth. “And, not that it’s any of your business, but we’re not together now. We’re friends, because I helped her come to terms with the fact that her husband was a paedophile and a murderer.”

Joe pulled Hardy’s hands off his shirt and backed up. “I was acquitted!” he yelled, his face red.

“Oh, shut up, Joe! You and I both know that you did it!” Hardy glanced over toward Ellie. She had slipped down the doorframe and was sitting on the step, tears in her eyes. “I really, strongly suggest that you leave town now. We warned you about what would happen if you came back.” Hardy was seething, his hands curled into fists.

“Oh you’re going to kill me, are you? You’re a police officer!” Joe yelled, backing up further.

“And you and I both know that nobody here would investigate your death. Not one person in this town cares if you live or die.” Hardy whispered, his voice dangerously low. He stepped closer to Joe. “Leave now. I’m warning you.”

“You won’t do anything –”

Before Joe could finish his sentence, Hardy had lunged forward, landing a punch on Joe’s jaw and knocking him backward into the side of the house. Hardy ducked a punch that Joe threw before pushing him back up against the wall and punching him again, feel a satisfying crack when his fist made contact with Joe’s nose. He kneed Joe in the stomach, making him double over, and then grabbed Joe’s shoulders and pushed him back up into a standing position, hearing the back of Joe’s head make contact with the wall. He grabbed Joe and threw him to the ground, straddling him. He landed blow after blow to his face, feeling Joe’s eye socket fracture when he landed a particularly nasty punch to his eye. He punched Joe square in the mouth, knocking out a tooth. He knew that his suit was splattered with blood and a few of his knuckles were probably broken, but he found that he didn’t really care. He grabbed Joe by the front of his shirt and slammed him back into the ground, his knee slipping in the process. When he tried to fix his position, Joe scrambled out from under him, running away with a hand pressed to his face.

Hardy pushed himself up off the ground with a grunt, walking over to where he had dropped his things and picking them up. When he closed his hand around the flowers, he knew that two of his knuckles were definitely broken. He could deal with that later.

He turned around and slowly made his way over to Ellie, sitting down next to her on the steps. He set the flowers and gift behind him. Without a word, she carefully grabbed his hand and examined it, noticing his pained gasp when she touched one of his broken knuckles. She stood and led him inside her house, stopping so he could pick up the flowers and gift.

She set him on the sofa and moved into the bathroom, coming back out with a first aid kit. She sat down next to him and carefully cleaned the blood off his hand, and some of the splatter on his face, before carefully bandaging the hand. She checked his left hand too, since he had landed hits with both. None of those knuckles were broken, but she still cleaned the blood off it before repacking the kit. When she didn’t stand to bring it back into the bathroom, Hardy’s suspicions were confirmed.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly. He tried to bend down and see her face, but she turned away and shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Ellie. I shouldn’t have attacked him like that, especially with you watching –”

“No, Hardy! I’m not upset about that. It’s just, seeing him…” she trailed off, burying her face in her arms.

Hardy sighed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, tipping her sideways so she was leaning against him. She turned into the hug, burying her face in his chest. He wrapped his other arm around her and rested his chin lightly on the top of her head.

“I’m sure that seeing him brought up a lot of feelings that you thought you were past, Ellie, and I’m sure that you feel weak for feeling all of that again. But you’re not.” Hardy whispered, rubbing circles into her back.

She sniffed. “I am.”

“No, you’re not! I know that you thought you had worked through and moved past all of the things that you felt about Joe, but you haven’t seen him in six years! Seeing him again after so long was bound to bring up the past for you.” Hardy dipped his head and pressed his cheek against her ear. “You’re the strongest person I know, Ellie.”

“Then why am I crying like a schoolgirl just because I saw my ex?” she choked out into Hardy’s chest.

“You’re not weak because you allow yourself to feel things. In fact, I think that makes you stronger than most people. A lot of people, myself included, try to bottle up everything they feel until they explode. You allow yourself to work through what you are feeling when it happens, and then it doesn’t cloud your judgement.” Hardy paused, searching for the right words. “I will never judge you for having feelings, Ellie. I will never judge you for crying or needing a hug or anything else. You’re my friend, and I will be here for you whenever or however you need me, I promise.”

Ellie started crying harder, wrapping her arms tightly around Hardy’s lower back. He held onto her as she fell apart.

She cried for a long time before she finally pulled back from Hardy, grabbing a tissue from the box on the coffee table and hastily wiping her face. Hardy reached over and held her free hand lightly.

When she had cleaned herself up as best she could, she tipped forward and kissed Hardy’s cheek. “Thank you.” She whispered.

“Always, Ellie.” He smiled tightly. She stood and brought the first aid kit back in the bathroom, then went into her room to change for Tom’s graduation.

When she came back out, Hardy handed her the flowers that he had brought, causing her to stand up on her toes and kiss his cheek again. “I don’t know if anyone has ever told you this before, Hardy, but you’re a good friend. Really.” She smiled at him.

“Call me Alec.” Ellie smiled, patting his arm and she walked past him to put the flowers in a vase. He followed her.

“You know, I never knew you could fight like that. That would have been fun to watch if I hadn’t been in the middle of a break down.” Ellie exclaimed, her back turned as she filled up the vase with water.

“I am a man of endless mystery, Ellie.” Hardy said, walking up next to her.

Ellie smiled.


End file.
